diff --git a/scripts/policy/frameworks/cluster/backend/zeromq/connect.zeek b/scripts/policy/frameworks/cluster/backend/zeromq/connect.zeek
index 94aee459ae..44f1a4bf20 100644
--- a/scripts/policy/frameworks/cluster/backend/zeromq/connect.zeek
+++ b/scripts/policy/frameworks/cluster/backend/zeromq/connect.zeek
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ module Cluster::Backend::ZeroMQ;
 event zeek_init() &priority=10
 	{
 	if ( run_proxy_thread )
-		Cluster::Backend::ZeroMQ::spawn_zmq_proxy_thread();
+		{
+		if ( ! Cluster::Backend::ZeroMQ::spawn_zmq_proxy_thread() )
+			Reporter::fatal("Failed to spawn ZeroMQ proxy thread");
+		}
 
-	Cluster::init();
+	if ( ! Cluster::init() )
+		Reporter::fatal("Failed initialize ZeroMQ backend");
 	}